Girdle



N. A. MARINO Dec. 7, 1965 GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6. 1964 Dec. 7, 1965 N. A. MARINO 3,221,749

GIRDLE Filed March 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR B zcholas 61.77Zarmo United States Patent O York Filed Mar. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 349,885 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-528) My invention relates to ladies girdles, and more particularly has to do with girdles designed especially for active women.

A common defect in most ordinary girdles is their tendency to ride up on the body upon sitting, bending, or engaging in any form of physical activity which involves even moderately strenuous muscular movements of the thighs and back. 'Ihis tendency of the girdle to slide or ride up on the torso after such bodily movements causes discomfort and embarrassment to the wearer, who is required for comfort to grasp the lower edges of the girdle and pull it down. Such slipping and sliding occurs even though the girdle may be of two-way stretch fabric.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a girdle so constructed that it will yield without slipping at the points of bending of the body or muscular flexing, thus enabling the girdle to remain in position during and after such activities.

A further object is to provide in a girdle an elastic panel positioned adjacent the thighs and below the buttock, said panel having a substantially greater stretchability than the main body of the girdle.

Still another object is to provide in a panty girdle such an elastic panel, engageable with back and inside areas of the thighs below the buttock and crotch.

Another object is to provide such a girdle which will also have an elastic panel below the waistband, thus permitting free bending of the torso as well as leg action without disturbing the proper lit of the garment.

My invention may in a sense be said to constitute an improvement over Uni-ted Sta-tes patent `to Zanca No. 3,080,868 dated March 12, 1963.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating certain preferred embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the rear of a regular type of girdle embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on a greatly enlarged scale, detailing the construction of a particular type of elastic fabric employed in certain parts of girdles embodying my invention;

FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken substantially along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a section view taken substantially along line B-B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the girdle of FIG. 1 on a female figure;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view showing the same girdle on a ligure in action;

FIG. 5 is a rear plan View similar of FIG. 1 of a panty girdle to which my invention is applied, and

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view showing the panty girdlel of FIG. 5 on a ligure in action.

Referring lirst to FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, the embodiment of my invention shown therein is a girdle 10 of the usual sheath type, the main body portion of which is formed of two-way stretchable material such as that known in the trade as spandex power net and having a back portion 12 and a yfront portion 14, with a relatively wide horizontally stretchable waistband 15. In accordance with common practice a non-stretchable insert panel 16 may extend vertically from top to bottom of -front portion 14 at the mid-section thereof to provide rm support over the diaphragm and abdomen.

3,221,749 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 ICC Extending substantially across the back of the garment immediately below waistband 15 is a panel 18 of reticulated, stretchable material, shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 2a. This material is highly elastic in a vertical direction and is also elastic to a lesser extent horizontally, and constitutes a pair of superimposed fabrics each of which is formed of diagonally extending crossed elastic filaments 20, said iilaments being looped about each other at their crossing points 22 so as to provide diamondshaped apertures 25 between said filaments, to provide high air permeability. Said filaments 20 are so arranged that the fabric has substantially great elasticity in an up and down direction and also substantial stretchability of a lesser degree in a horizontal direction. By having the filaments 20 looped around each other, limited movement at the juncture points is possible, enhancing elasticity kof the fabric.

In my preferred embodiment two sheets of reticulated fabric 18a are superimposed on each other to form the panel as seen in FIG. 1, in order to provide increased strength and elasticity as well as lgreater durability against wear, laundering, etc. It will be understood, however, that I might use a single sheet of reticulated Ifabric or two or more.

I preferably also provide stays 28 which extend through pockets for-med in waistband 15 and alongside the opposite extremities of panel 18 as well as in the front and sides, if desired, to prevent rolling over. Vertically extending reinforcement stitching 30 may be provided at the back below opposite` extremities of panel 18 and in extension of stays 28.

It w-ill be noted from FIG. 2A that reticulated panel 18 is stitched to the inner surface of the garment, so as to provide a neat and attractive finish on the outside. In order that panel 18 may be firmly secured along its lower edge where it joins the main body portion of the garment, a binding thread is stitched or wound thereover throughout its length. This is generally called overlock stitching in the trade.

I also preferably provide at the bottom of back portion 12, so disposed as to lie adjacent the thighs below the buttock, another elastic panel 35 formed of material similar to that of panel 18 as described above, having greater stretchability vertically than horizontally. (FIGS. 1, 2B, 3 and 4.) Said panel 35 is secured as by stitching to the inside face of said main body portion, a reinforcing tape 37 being inserted between the reticulated fabric and said main body portion. It will be noted that panel 35 is more-or-less crescent shaped, extending substantially from side to side of back portion 12, the bottom ed-ge of panel 35 being substantially a continuation of the bottom edge of the garment and secured to a reinforcing tape or band 40. It will be understood that all of the reinforcing tapes, bands or cords and the likel herein referred to as secured to panels 18 and 35 are horizontally elastic.

When the garment hereinabove described is worn, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, reticulated panels 18 4and 35 function to maintain the garment in proper position on the ligure throughout its entire extent, despite relatively violent body movements such as might occur in connection with housework or athletic activities such as golf, tennis or bowling, or even in walking or dancing. When the wearer bends at the waist, waistband 15 remains in place, panel 18 being elongated in a vertical direction while the main body portion of the garment remains in position. Accordingly, when the wearer resumes an erect position, the garment returns to its normal form as seen in FIG. 3 without having been disturbed from its proper fit on the body.

Likewise, when the wearer engages in leg or thigh movements, as seen in FIG. 4, panel 35 will be elongated in the direction of such movement, permitting the fit of the garment around the thighs of the wearer to be maintained without disturbance. Accordingly, the entire garment may be said to maintain its proper posi-tion on the figure `at all times, despite physical action such as sitting, squatting, bending, walking, or other physical activity.

FIGS. 5 and. 6 show another embodiment of my invention, applied in this instance to a type of garment known as a pantygirdle, as indicated by numeral 10a, such garments being generally similar to the ordinary type of girdle except for the provision of abbreviated leg portions 60, 60, said leg portions being joined to the main body portion by means of a crotch section 62.

In panty-girdle a I provide in back portion 12a directly below waistband a a panel 18a substantially similar in construction and arrangement to panel 18 described above.

I also provide insert panels 65, 65 in the lower portion of back portion 12a and approximately at the upper extremities of leg portions 60, 60. Looking at FIG. 6, it will be noted that panels 65 are positioned under the lower extremity of the buttocks, as in the case of panel 35 described above, being generally of crescent formation and extending from the rear into the inner portions of legs 60, 60, so as to be disposed opposite and facing each other on the inside surfaces of the thighs. Thus, said panels 65, 65 are secured in part to crotch piece 62 as by stitching. The upper edge 67 of each panel 65 (FIG. 5) is more or less straight while the lower edge 69 forms a downwardly extending arc, the maximum width of the panel being approximately at the point where the panel joins leg seam 72.

Panels 65 are secured as by overlock stitching to the inside of the garment, substantially as described hereabove -for the rst embodiment.

It will be apparent that the panty-girdle just described functions in a substantially similar manner to the girdle of the first embodiment.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and describedor uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A panty girdle comprising a main body predominantly of elastic fabric having front and back portions, leg portions and a crotch portion, and a pair of vertically stretchable elastic panels each disposed in the middle part of the back portion directly under each buttock portion and in the upper part of each leg element, each panel extending a substantial distance into and secured to the upper part of the crotch portion, and each panel in its normal position being generally elongate in a horizontal direction with a portion of maximum width substantially at its mid-portion to afford maximum stretchability thereof within the crotch area.

2. A girdle as defined in claim 1, wherein each panel has its maximum width within the crotch, tapering to a substantially reduced width at its extremity under the buttock, in order to accommodate the high extensibility of the skin area of the wearer within the crotch.

3. A girdle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said panel is highly elastic vertically and elastic to a lesser degree horizontally, and is reticulated to permit relatively free air circulation therethrough.

4. A girdle as set forth in claim 3, wherein said panel comprises a plurality of superposed sheets of fabric formed of diagonally crossed elastic filaments looped around each other at their crossing points.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,639 9/1926 Buchanan 128-556 2,125,482 8/1938 Barnes 128-556 2,235,499 3/1941 Hiller 128-524 2,298,737 10/1942 Kattermann et al. 128-540 3,080,868 3/1963 Zanca 128-540 3,130,730 4/1964 Zanca 128-556 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,298,737 10/ 1942 Katterman et al. 2,366,032 12/1944 Jasper. 2,424,651 7/ 1947 Dubner. 2,527,543 10/ 1950 Godbout. 3,080,868 3/1963 Zanca.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PANTY GIRDLE COMPRISING A MAIN BODY PREDOMINANTLY OF ELASTIC FABRIC HAVING FRONT AND BACK PORTIONS, LEG PORTIONS AND A CROTCH PORTION, AND A PAIR OF VERTICALLY STRETCHABLE ELASTIC PANELS EACH DISPOSED IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE BACK PORTION DIRECTLY UNDER EACH BUTTOCK PORTION AND IN THE UPPER PART OF EACH LEG ELEMENT, EACH PANEL EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE INTO AND SECURED TO THE UPPER PART OF THE CROTCH PORTION, AND EACH PANEL IN ITS NORMAL POSITION BEING GENERALLY ELONGATE IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION WITH A PORTION OF MAXIMUM WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY AT ITS MID-PORTION TO AFFORD MAXIMUM STRETCHABILITY THEREOF WITHIN THE CROTCH AREA. 